1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to electrical connectors employed to attach an electrical component to a harness. More particularly this invention is related to electrical connector that permit an electrical component to be mounted in a larger assembly such as an automobile dash or instrument panel. More specifically this invention is related to self docking electrical connectors that can be aligned during mating to permit the connectors to be blind mated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrical components, such as radios, are normally hand assembled into the dash or instrument panel of an automobile. An electrical harness is typically mounted behind a panel positioned in front of the firewall of the automobile. Wires and heating ducts typically extend between this panel and the firewall. One method of assembling individual components, such as radios, to these harnesses is to provide sufficient slack so that the connection can be made before positioning the component in the dash or instrument panel. A more desirable assembly method is to mount a plug connector to the panel and then to mate a header on the electrical component to the plug connector. The electrical component should be mounted after the dash has been assembled to the panel on which the plug connector is mounted. The electrical component can then be inserted through an opening in the dash and the header on the component is blind mated with the plug connector. The problem with this approach is that adequate alignment between the dash and the panel cannot be assured and therefore the opening in the dash may not be properly aligned with the plug connector.
One connector assembly that permits blind mating of electrical components, such as radios, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,098. That patent includes a header with a tapered alignment post that engages a corresponding slot in a plug connector subassembly. The plug connector subassembly includes flanges that mount the plug connector subassembly on a panel, but the plug connector subassembly is free to move parallel to the panel. The tapered alignment post then can cam the plug connector assembly into alignment just prior to mating. A related approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,435 where a resilient O ring is used to initially center the plug connector assembly.
Although each of these approaches permit movement parallel to the automotive panel, misalignment can also occur in a direction perpendicular to the automotive panel. Therefore, some travel in the direction perpendicular to the panel and parallel to the axis along which the connectors move during mating is also desirable. Furthermore it the alignment post disclosed in these patents does occupy a large area that cannot otherwise be used. The contact density is therefore affected.